


Keeper's Wards

by Nightshade_sydneylover150



Series: The Siths' Keeper [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Dark Anakin Skywalker, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Gen, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Other, Platonic or Romantic Obikin, Post Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith AU, Post-Order 66, Referenced Anidala, Sith Anakin Skywalker, Sith Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-04-06 07:40:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightshade_sydneylover150/pseuds/Nightshade_sydneylover150
Summary: The Jedi have fallen. Newly fallen Jedi Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader has captured the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Keeper of the Jedi’s Sith and Fallen Jedi Holocrons with the aid of his clone troops. The Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi lies injured in the home of his fallen Padawan's wife as former Chancellor Palpatine implements his plan to form his Empire.However, in the Jedi Temple a new, rather old, power is rising.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> -Text Key-
> 
> "Speech"  
>  _Thoughts_  
>  _ **Force Conversations**_  
>  _"Conversation memory"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _Beta: PegliOne (peglione) on Tumblr_  
> 
> 
> _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. It is the intellectual property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Company, and Disney (unfortunately)._   
> 
> 
> * * *

_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...._

### Part II

## Keeper's Wards

_Newly fallen Jedi Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader has captured the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Keeper of the Jedi’s Sith and Fallen Jedi Holocrons with the aid of his clone troops. The former Jedi has invalidated his former alliance with the Banite Sith Lord Darth Sidious after being promised greater knowledge and power by the Holocrons that are guarded by the venerable Jedi Kenobi. Vader has hidden himself and the Jedi within the confines of his wife’s, Senator Amidala’s, home._  


_Now that the Jedi Master has awakened, the Senator is seeking aid to return her husband from darkness so that he, together with Kenobi, will end the burgeoning reign of the Emperor Palpatine. However, in the Jedi Temple a new power is rising that will send all plans to ruin...._


	2. Chapter One

 

 

* * *

 

Sometimes Obi-Wan wondered why he had been chosen to be the Sith Holocron Keeper. It wasn’t like there was anything special about him. He was not strong in the Living Force like his Master had been and the Jedi Masters often described him as being anxious.

 _“You should tell the Council that it is not appropriate for them to be filling your head with this nonsense that you were chosen by the Unified Force,”_ Qui-Gon had bluntly told him countless times. _“Those ‘bad feelings’ you have are merely the byproduct of your own fear.”_

Master Qui-Gon had believed that Obi-Wan’s predisposition for the Unified Force, as the other Masters had called it, was merely Obi-Wan’s failure to be in tune with the Living Force.

Yet when Obi-Wan had told the Masters what his own Master had said, they informed him that the position would accept no other. The position of Keeper was never given by the Jedi Council or the Jedi Masters, it was a position that came from the Unified Force. It had been a position that Obi-Wan had held even before Qui-Gon rescued him on Bandomeer after the Obi-Wan was sent there for his “anger issues.” Qui-Gon had never accepted this answer, demanding that his Padawan focus on the “here and now” as the Unified Force was merely a myth touted by those who cannot accept the “truth” about the Force. In the deepest depths of the now-Jedi Master’s heart, Obi-Wan wondered how his Master could have been so naïve.

Whenever he thinks that he cannot help but berate himself for daring to degenerate his venerable Master’s words.

But Obi-Wan could not and still cannot understand how Qui-Gon could believe such a thing when his own Grandmaster was a follower of the Unified Force and had foresight.

None of that mattered now. He had been dead and gone for almost fifteen years. The older Jedi had never held any power over the Council’s decision or, maybe, the Force’s decision to make Obi-Wan the Sith Holocrons’ Keeper.

Yet Obi-Wan could acknowledge in the deepest recesses of his mind or on his worst nights that Qui-Gon’s disapproval of his position and Force alignment badly bothered him.

_In some ways he was right to think that my position as Keeper would lead to ruin. The objects… the beings I have guarded for years… have taken my former Padawan as their student. This is all my fault._

Even as this thought crossed his mind, another portion of Obi-Wan’s consciousness asked, _Or was that just a lie I’ve been told?_

  

 

* * *

 

Revan often wondered if the Jedi had become stupider since his death.

_Yes, he knew that he had returned to the Jedi years after he had created this holocron. He had, after all, spoken to his later holocrons, thank you very much. He had even spoken to his technically Grey Jedi Revan counterpart’s wife, Bastilla. What of it? It was not like those two weren’t under suspicion for supposedly trying to “corrupt” Jedi Initiates and Padawans._

So many Force gifts had been lost due to the blindness of Jedi Masters who were so narrow minded as to believe there was only one aspect to the Force. The young Jedi Keeper had had the potential to use many of the Force gifts that the Jedi of Revan’s time had used.

_Kenobi, the Sith holocron’s Firebird, would always be young to Revan and the other Sith holocrons. He had even heard Cognus and Traya speaking about ways to de-age the boy, if needed, in order to help break the Jedi’s hold over the Holocrons’ Keeper._

Alas, the current… well former… Jedi had believed that these gifts would lead “to the Dark Side.” Revan could practically hear quotation marks from here! The boy still did not realize after thirty plus years that the Jedi Council’s word about the Force is not the end all be all.

Yet Revan understood the Keeper’s fear, perhaps better than any of the other Sith Lords, Ladies, and Apprentices. (Well, perhaps Pall understood. She was a former Jedi, as was Traya, but the two were extremely disconnected from their former lives.) In some ways, the Firebird’s life had mimicked Revan’s own, but in others it was drastically different.

Revan, of course, had never been sent away to the Corps nor had he ever been informed that he was “too angry” at a young age.

_The Gray One was sowing the seeds for the Firebird’s turn, yet the Fiery One never turned. An interesting conundrum…_

As Revan observed his fellow Sith plotting ways to manipulate their Keeper, he decided he was going to take a different course of action. He knew that eventually his fellow Sith would fall in line, even his former Jedi Master, Kreia, now known as Lady Traya, and the feared Lady Phobos.

 

 

* * *

 

Padme wondered what had caused the drastic change in her husband that had led to him turning on the Jedi. She had known that her husband had not been pleased with the Jedi Council, but she had never believed that he would harm his fellow Jedi Knights, let alone the younglings. Anakin had always spoken fondly of the little ones. He had told her once that the younglings were the only group in the Jedi that he loved because they were uncorrupted by the apathy that seemed to plague the older Jedi, particularly the Jedi Council.

Padme had to agree that the Jedi Council seemed apathetic and disconnected from the plight of the common people. How could any being deny the importance of family, love, and happiness by claiming that those emotions were the path to the Dark Side? It seemed criminal.

That was always the issue that Padme had with Anakin’s Jedi Master, Obi-Wan. The older man seemed oblivious to the pain Anakin was experiencing. Surely the man must have understood that these things did not lead to the Dark Side. He must be young enough to remember how it felt to be with his family before the Jedi took him from them.

Now Padme needed to talk the man who had been oblivious to so much while her husband was out “doing recon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> __  
> **I will be posting the next chapter next weekend.**  
>   
> 
> __  
> **Until then, please read and review!**  
>  __  
>   
> 


	3. Chapter Two

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Traya first met the boy, who would become the Sith Holocrons’ Keeper, she had not been impressed. He seemed like he was mediocre at best as he did not appear to be very strong in the Force nor did he seem to have the ambition to be more than a “good Jedi.” Traya almost instantly wrote off the then eight-year-old boy. Honestly, the only interesting thing about him at that time was how young he was for a Keeper. Most of the Holocrons’ Keepers had been in their late teens or early twenties before they were chosen by the Force to become Holocron Keepers.

That should have been Traya’s first clue that the Firebird, Obi-Wan as she now knew he was called, was something special.

She previously had been naïve.

At that time, the young Keeper had to have one of the so-called Jedi Masters bring him to the Holocron vault. Traya, even in her weakened Holocron state, was easily able to mentally control the weak-minded Jedi Master and she had previously been able to influence her previous Keepers. However, she was unable to control this Keeper, a mere Initiate. Even the great Darth Phobos had been unable to influence the boy.

So she began to try different tactics every time the boy entered the vault only to have her attempts fail over and over again. She could not understand how she, the feared Darth Traya, could have failed to influence a mere Initiate. It was only when she saw him as he truly was, not as a Jedi initiate or a Jedi Keeper, but as a hidden powerhouse, did she understand.

The old green Jedi who spoke Basic funnily ( _Yoda_ , her mind recalled) and who often brought the young Keeper to the vault, frequently lectured the boy about his anger and his behavior. The lectures often pertained to how the Firebird’s anger towards a fellow Initiate would drive away all the Firebird’s potential Masters.

Traya remembered hearing Cognus whispering how the only Master that old Jedi wanted for the boy was the troll’s own Grandpadawan, the one that her own Padawan Revan called the Gray One.

 _Honestly, none of the Jedi’s names were that important_. They all blended together after the first few millennia. Her fellow Sith had told the others that the green Jedi’s Grandpadawn believed that Firebird was destined to fall to the Dark Side because the boy was “too accomplished” and “too angry.”

Then Traya was able to sneak a peek into the troll’s mind and what she saw was wickedly delightful. The boy was powerful, just not in the traditional sense. His anger was deliciously wicked and only seemed to fuel the boy’s non-traditional power. Then and there Traya realized that this was the Holocrons’ true Keeper and future Apprentice. She only needed to force her fellow Sith Holocrons to see the glory that the boy would bring to the Sith.

 

 

* * *

 

Obi-Wan heard the soft click of the automatic door lock disengaging and the quiet swoosh of the door sliding open. He quickly closed his eyes and feigned sleep. The ploy would not fool his fallen Padawan, but it would allow Obi-Wan the time to formulate his thoughts before he was forced to speak to the younger man.

“I know you are not asleep Obi-Wan.” An unexpected female voice stated in a quiet but firm manner.

Obi-Wan slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight of Anakin’s very pregnant wife. It is amazing that no one in the Senate has noticed her condition. _Then again, I wonder if anyone truly pays attention to these things unless they are looking for a scandal_. “Senator Amidala or should I say Senator Skywalker? What brings you to my room on this ominous day?”

“My name is Padme, Obi-Wan. I have granted you the use of it many a time. From what I understand from my husband, there is no reason why you should continue to use such a detached way of speaking.” She paused before speaking again. “My official title in the Senate is still Senator Amidala. I never changed my name after the marriage.”

Obi-Wan hummed as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “I had always wondered if you had changed your name after your marriage. I suspected if you had, you would have had to keep it quiet. I also wanted to know if you actually registered your marriage.”

“Of course it is registered! Why would it not be registered?” The man watched as the Senator finally realized what he had said. “Wait, you knew we were married?”

The Jedi casually shrugged, “Initially I only suspected that you were in a relationship. It was only after time had progressed that I realized that you two were married.”

“B.. Bu… But we were careful.”

“If you want me to be honest with you, Senator, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone knows. Then again it is a secret, therefore everyone suspects something. Let’s face it, Anakin is not very subtle and neither are you when he has been away from you for months.”

“How dare you imply…” The woman seemed to draw herself up in an effort to look more commanding. However, all Obi-Wan could see was a woman who was drained and heart-sick. She appeared to be a mere echo of the fourteen-year-old who once stood against the Trade Federation. “Never mind, I’m here for a purpose.”

“And what purpose would that be?” Obi-Wan asked offhandedly.

“Anakin.” She stated sharply. She felt as if the man was judging her reactions and somehow deeming her to be unworthy. “What did the Council do to turn him against the younglings?”

“The Council did nothing that would have triggered this reaction in Anakin.” The Jedi Master replied calmly.

The former Queen let out an aggravated noise. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, stop this foolishness! You cannot possibly be so blind as to think that the Council is blameless in this. They must have done something to provoke Anakin to turn on them!” She was almost shouting at the man now. “They have always been against him from the moment he set foot in the Council Chamber when he was nine years old.”

“It is odd that you would say that Senator.” Obi-Wan asked with a questioning eyebrow raise. “What, or perhaps should I say, who is the source of the information that you are using to back your claims?”

The Jedi watched as the younger woman seemed to flinch back and her eyes appeared to light on fire. 

 

 

* * *

 

_How dare he!_

“Anakin told me all about how your precious Council treated him like scum on the bottom of their boots. All because they dislike the idea that he was raised to embrace emotions instead of shun them.” Padme could not keep the venom out of her voice now. How clueless could this man be? Did he care so little about his former Padawan?

Fueled by her anger, she pushed forwards in her campaign to force the man to admit his failures. “How could you and your Council expect him to turn his back on his emotions and his family? How could you all be so blind as to claim that emotions like love and compassion lead to the ‘Dark Side?’ Have you forgotten the love that your family showed to you before the Council stole you from their loving arms?”

However the bastard did not even give her the satisfaction.

 

 

* * *

 

Phobos had thought the boy had been weak. Her opinion of the baby Jedi did not change until years after he was chosen as the Keeper despite the human’s ability to resist her mental powers. Even at his weakest, the child never bent to her will.

This enraged the Sith Lady. Phobos’ will was like galactic steel, forged in the heat of the stars and stronger than any other metal. No one had ever resisted her will. It had taken the combined efforts of the ancient Jedi and other ancient Sith to remove her from her throne of power. Yet this mere slip of a boy…

She would admit that she had wanted to kill the Jedi Initiate turned Keeper the moment that she met him. He reminded her too much of the golden standard to which all Jedi strove.

It was this ability that had grudgingly impressed her. However, what finally made her take an interest in the boy, outside of her desire to kill him, was his fortitude.

The boy’s lack of response to her attempts at mental control could be written off, though she hated to admit it, as being a lack of power on the part of her holocron. However, the human had resisted being mind wiped and having his Force bonds with others ripped out of his mind. Phobos truly gained respect for the Keeper after his Jedi Master died and the boy still had the strength to destroy the Sith Apprentice.

 _He shows great promise_ , the Sith thought idly before her anger flared. _Now we are just stuck waiting for that fallen idiot to return the Keeper to us_.

 

 

* * *

 

“I never said that the Council has not treated Anakin unfairly in the past. It has been something that I have fought long and hard against for over the fourteen years Anakin was a Jedi. I merely stated that I do not know of anything that could have triggered such a violent reaction.” Obi-Wan replied calmly as he could despite being internally rattled at the depth of the Nabooian Senator’s anger towards the Jedi Council. “I do not know if Anakin told you, but I have been off world for the last few days. The Council sent me after General Grievious.”

“They sent you **_alone_**?” Came the outraged response from the former queen. “That has to be it. Surely they should have sent Anakin with you or Anakin alone.”

“And why would they do that your ladyship?” Obi-Wan asked evenly.

“Obi-Wan you always get yourself into trouble. Plus Anakin has told me that you are rather weak in the Force.” Internally the Senator’s response was like a slap to the face to Obi-Wan.

 _She is right, I am weak. My lack of Force strength shows how unsuited I was to be the Master of the Chosen One_.

“A statement I have come to regret.” A voice called from the doorway. Padme whipped around as Obi-Wan made an attempt to turn to face his former Padawan.

“Relax, my Master.” Ana… whatever he was calling himself today stated as he moved forward to press Obi-Wan back down into the pillows. “You are not to strain yourself. You have recently been shot.”

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and quipped back at the darksider, “You would know as you were the one who ordered it.”

“Obi-Wan, why would you accuse Anakin of trying to harm you? He would never…” The Senator’s outrage was cut off by the former Jedi knight’s laughter at Obi-Wan’s comment and by Obi-Wan himself.

“Just like he would never harm the younglings or the Padawans?” Obi-Wan snipped back at the young woman.

_How dare this woman make assumptions? She barely knew Anakin. How much time could they have possibility spent together? Half a year total for the entire period of their three-year marriage? What was that against fourteen years of living, working, and fighting together?_

Anakin laughed again as he sat down on the bed where Obi-Wan lay. “My dear Master, you cannot resist a quip can you? Then again it is what both endears and frustrates me the most about you.”

The young Sith, as much as it broke the Jedi’s heart to admit that Anakin was his enemy now, turned to his wife.

“Padme, my love, what did I tell you about bothering and riling up Obi-Wan with your talk?” Obi-Wan heard the underlying venom in Anakin’s honeyed words. “But in an effort to clear the air, yes I did attack the Padawans and order the Clone to shoot him.”

“Anakin! **_W..Why?_** ” Came the Nabooian’s startled cry. “This isn’t like you.”

“No, for the first time in a long time it was exactly like me.” Anakin stated as Obi-Wan felt the darkness exuding from the other’s pores. “I needed to protect my Master from himself and to get rid of those who would oppose the new rule. Obi-Wan would have fought me until the bitter end and would have caused himself more harm if I had not order the clone trooper to stun him.”

“Obi-Wan, how dare you fight Anakin!” _Oh goodie, she is yelling at me again._ The older man barely kept himself from flinching at the shrieking tone of the former queen’s voice. “You know how much he loves you! Obviously you do not care as much for him.”

Obi-Wan refused to respond to the young Senator. Instead he kept his gazed trained on his former apprentice.

“Why did you do it?” He had to struggle to keep his voice steady.

“You are going to have to be more specific my dear Master.” The Sith answered with a parody of a sweet smile

Obi-Wan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, counted to ten, and asked his question again in a calm but authoritative voice. “Why did you turn on the Jedi?”

“They were trying to take over the Republic. They attempted to kill the Chancellor. I found Windu holding his lightsaber to the Chancellor’s throat.” The younger man simply stated.

_There is more to this story than what he is saying…_

“Oh my…” Padme whispered in a horrified voice.

“Mace would not have done that without just cause.” The Jedi stated plainly, ignoring his former Padawan’s wife. “Why did Master Windu have his lightsaber to the Chancellor’s throat?”

“Because he was the Sith Lord we have been looking for all along.” Anakin said with a smirk. It seemed that he almost was treating this question and answer session as a game. His yellow eyes met and starred deeply into Obi-Wan’s own. “But he was right when he said the Council was trying to destroy the Republic.”

“Anakin, the Jedi never had power in the Senate. Too many fear what the Jedi can do.” Padme cut in causing both men to jump slightly. “After hearing how many children they have stolen, it is no wonder.”

“The Jedi have never stolen any children.” Obi-Wan and, surprisingly Anakin, firmly stated together.

“They are not brave enough to try and steal a child.” The Sith continued with a sneer.

“No. We don’t steal children. Period.” Obi-Wan stated as he glared at the man sitting on the bed with him. He then turned his attention back to the misinformed Senator. “The only time we remove the children without the children’s parents’ permission is if the children are being abused.”

“There is no abuse in the Republic.” Padme stated proudly, as if it was personal accomplishment.

“Where there is fear, anger, and hatred there can be abuse.” Obi-Wan stated softly. He was surprised when he felt his former Padawan take his hand into his own and begin to rub his thumb gently over Obi-Wan’s fingers. “The Universe, unfortunately, has a plethora of all those things.”

“Obi-Wan is right. Abuse exists in every corner of the Universe, Padme.  It is naïve of you to think otherwise.” Anakin stated softly as he gazed for a moment at Obi-Wan in what an outsider might describe as a lovingly manner.

However a second later, Obi-Wan watched his former Padawan’s flame-like eyes harden as he turned his attention back to Padme. “I once thought you were so worldly and knowledgeable, my dear wife. It is a pity that you have proven me wrong.”


	4. Chapter Three

* * *

Darth Nilihus had not known what to think of the small Initiate who was originally picked to the Sith Holocron’s Keeper. Honestly, he had not engaged with the Keeper throughout the almost thirty-year period that the Jedi had served in the position.

However, Nilihus had observed him.

He watched the little Jedi grow from a child to a man. He watched the other Sith, particularly his Mistress, Traya, attempt to influence the then-child and fail. 

He observed the condescending behavior that the traditional Jedi Masters exhibited towards toward the Keeper when he was a child. Nilihus witnessed the young Knight’s attempts to shield his Padawan from similar treatment by the Masters.

What the Sith Lord had learned was that the now Jedi Master may have been damaged by the treatment he had received from his former Jedi oppressors, but he was not broken. 

No, the only thing that had almost broken the man was the actions of his Padawan.

_The Gray One, as Revan calls him, thought the Firebird’s Padawan was the Chosen One. In reality, he is merely the key to the lock. For what good is a key without a lock?_

* * *

“You didn’t have to force her out of the room,” Obi-Wan commented blandly, once the former Jedi returned to the room.

“She was aggravating you and you are defending her?” Anakin said incredulously. The Jedi met his former Padawan’s eyes, ignoring the yellow irises as he raised an eyebrow. 

After a few minutes, the new Sith sighed, rolled his eyes, and shook his head before responding to Obi-Wan’s silent response. “What am I saying? Of course you would defend her.”

“She has gone through a huge shock Anakin! She is scared and lashing out! I don’t blame her for acting that way! She never expected that her husband would become a murderer!” Obi-Wan exclaimed as he once again struggled to sit up in the bed.

“She has known for years that I have killed people. Both in the name of the Republic and in the name of vengeance, yet now she is shocked?” Anakin stated, as he moved forwards and tried to help Obi-Wan get up only to have the older man flinch away from him. “If you want to sit up, you have to let me help.”

“I doubt she suspected that you would kill children.” Obi-Wan snipped back as he continued to dodge out of the Sith’s reach. “I don’t want your help. I can do it on my own.”

“You are so fripping stubborn! Why can’t you just accept my help?” The former Knight growled as he attempted to catch his former Master once again as Obi-Wan evaded him.

“I could possibility think of a reason why I wouldn’t trust you to help me sit up.” Obi-Wan sarcastically quipped as he managed to slip under his former Padawan’s outstretched arm. I am so going to pay for that move later. 

“I have before.” Anakin stated plainly in a soft voice, shocking Obi-Wan into a standstill long enough for the other human to successfully grab the Jedi Master and gently guide him into a sitting position. “Killed children I mean. Although in the case of this conversation, I have helped you in the past when you were injured by my mistakes. You never acted like this before. There is no need for sarcasm.”

“Ah yes, the Tuskens….” Obi-Wan glared at the younger man. “As for helping me, you gave that up when you became a Sith.”

“You **_know_** about the Tuskens?” Anakin shouted, causing Obi-Wan to flinch back once more. 

Every time Anakin- the Sith- raised his voice, horrible pictures of torture and death would enter the Obi-Wan’s mind. He could almost see himself fighting his former Padawan. The image distracted Obi-Wan such that he nearly missed the newly turned Sith’s next comment.“I am who I have always been.”

“I suspected that you slaughtered them. I looked into it while you were on Naboo with Padme for the second time. I assume that is when the two of you wed?” Obi-Wan asked placidly. “No, you weren’t always this… this _**thing**_. You used to be a good man.”

“Don’t try to distract me old man. But yes, that is when we got married,” Anakin stated. “I never wanted to settle with being a good man. I am on my way to becoming a great man.”

“Too bad you did not send me a wedding invitation,” Obi-Wan quipped, as he looked around the room to see if there was a way that he could use something in it to escape. “Perhaps if you had not kept secrets, you would not be on your way to becoming monster.”

If he had noticed Obi-Wan’s side glances around the room, the Sith was ignoring them.

“Pfft- you would have tried to stop it.” Anakin dismissed Obi-Wan’s comments with a wave of his hand. “As I said, I am who I was meant to become and once you are done being stubborn, you will be too.”

“No, I wouldn’t have.” Obi-Wan stated firmly. He looked over at his former Padawan who was looking at him a confused and concerned manner. _That look seems even more disconcerting now that it is being reflected in the eyes of a Sith_. “Stopped your wedding, I mean. All I wanted was for you to be happy. Granted I had hoped that you would be happy in the Order, but part of me knew that would not be the case.”

“I thought you would report me to the Council,” Anakin replied in a small voice as he turned to face his former Master and friend. Obi-Wan met the Sith’s now blue colored eyes and felt like his soul was being searched. 

“I spent years fighting for you in front of the Council. I may have done it behind closed doors or used subterfuge, but I fought for your happiness, for your ability to continue to be a Jedi.” Obi-Wan said in as firm a voice as he could manage as he leaned forward slightly and felt a stab of pain. The Jedi Master had to take a steadying breath before he spoke once more. “I tried to get permission to obtain the credits to free your mother after I realized that you had been a slave.” 

“You did?” The younger man’s voice was filled with awe, before a dark look passed over the Sith’s face. “Wait, how did you not realize that I was a slave? It was obvious!” 

With a shrug of his shoulders triggering another burst of pain, “Qui-Gon never informed me that you had been a slave. I thought you were just from a poor family on Tatooine. I didn’t even realize you had trackers in you until I took you to the Temple healers after my Master’s death.” The Jedi stated. 

Anakin replied in a harsh tone that was only belied by the former Jedi laying a gentle hand on Obi-Wan’s injury and filtering the healing power of the Force into the wound. “Obi-Wan, that is ridiculous! You should have realized that I was a slave!”

The older man asked through gritted teeth, “And how was a supposed to know, Anakin? I was working on repairing the ship and protecting the decoy so no one realized that we knew the real Queen was with Qui-Gon. I had no clue what was going on while Qui-Gon was on Tatooine, except what little my Master told me.” 

Anakin’s actions were helping with the pain, but his tone and his voice’s volume where making the frightening images more vivid causing Obi-Wan’s head to hurt. “Qui-Gon did not tell me anything about you other than you were a mechanic who lived with his mother, had an extremely high midichlorian count, and won a pod race that allowed my Master to obtain parts I needed to fix Padme’s ship.”

“How did not you not know?” Anakin muttered under his breath and the words were barely audible to the Jedi’s ears.

“Slaves in the mid and other outer worlds are very different than those on Hutt controlled worlds.” Obi-Wan replied in a low voice.

“How would you know that?” The Sith asked, while raising his eyebrow.

“The answer to that is simple.” Obi-Wan replied in an almost offhanded fashion. “I was one of them.”


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: Before anyone comments on a certain Sith's gender in this chapter, yes I know that this person is the opposite gender in canon. However, in the previous part of this series I wrote this Sith as being the gender they are in this story. So for continuity purposes, I choose to keep the gender from the previous story. Happy hunting.

* * *

Adjusta Pall observed her Sith brethren as they argued with each other about how they should take on their enemy. Each had their own plan and each was determined to put forth their plan as the correct one. Pall had never claimed to be a great tactician, despite being the first Dark Lady of the Sith and the leader of the Dark Side after the First Great Schism. Her skills lay in alchemy- particularly in the creation and shaping of life.

Pall understood, better than any of the others the level of strength and Sith magic needed to create the Firebird’s Pride. She also understood the volatility of the newly fallen one. She had known as soon as she had seen the young man that he was the Chosen One, as the younger Jedi generations called him. Pall also understood the unnatural circumstances that had resulted in the young man meeting that criteria. 

However, after consulting with the Jedi, Sith, and miscellaneous Force user Holocrons from earlier and later ages than her own, she soon realized that the boy was not the true Chosen One. At least, not by the original prophecy’s standards. Let’s just say that Pall understood that things got... lost… in translation. 

And yes, she does still talk to the other Force user Holocrons occasionally. Revan is not the only one with contacts outside of the Sith Vault.

But that was neither here nor there. Pall sought to see if she could obtain allies among the squabbling Sith when she noticed Revan. He was being too quiet. A brilliant tactician, or so Pall had been told, Revan would be an ideal choice for an ally. Phobos would be an equally good ally, but there was a reason why the Thellin female was considered the most feared Sith. She did not play well with others and, for a Sith, that is saying something.

However, if properly convinced, both Revan and Phobos would be ideal allies. With that decision made, Pall made arrangements to meet with both Siths in as private of a manner as a Sith holocron could expect in this day and age. 

Honestly, Pall could not wait for their Keeper to come and free them from this vault, because she needed a break from all the squabbling. She’d never complain about the quiet time her Keeper enforced on the vault again.

* * *

Anakin was still in shock when he left Obi-Wan in the side bedroom. He was not concerned at all that Obi-Wan could escape. The older man, despite being bantha-headed, realized that he would be in danger if he left the safety of Padme and Anakin’s home.

Also, even if he is too stubborn to admit it, he knows that I will be going after Palpatine. Obi-Wan talks a good game about ‘letting go’ of the past, but he wants vengeance against the man he believes drove me to killing the Jedi in the Temple. Pausing in his thoughts, Anakin realized he was going to have to eventually tell Obi-Wan that he had not killed the younglings or the younger Padawans.

But that was not an issue. Right now, the young Sith needed time to process the information he had just received from his former Master. 

Obi-Wan had been a slave. The thought rolled around in Anakin’s head. Honestly, he did not know what to do with the information. 

Or rather, the little information that Obi-Wan had given him. The man had become rather tight lipped after he had allowed that tidbit of information to slip. Anakin assumed he could get more information regarding the soon-to-be-former Jedi Master’s time in slavery from the holocrons, but the last time he had spoken to them, they had been rather upset with him for removing their Firebird from the Temple.

I’m going to need to take him back there soon before the Holocrons’ get even more upset. I also need to contact Banite Sith within the next few hours. Sidious will be growing suspicious that I have not contacted him.

Anakin needed time and it seemed that he now had more questions than answers.

* * *

Zannah was no stranger to the evils the Jedi had wrought. After all, it had been a Jedi who had killed her when they were children.

The Firebird however- he was a Jedi of a different breed. Unlike those pretentious Jedi that Zannah had had the displeasure of meeting both in her life and as a Holocron, the Firebird strove to be everything that the Jedi claimed they were as an organization. He was kind, when he wasn’t frustrated with the others for trying to influence him. He was diplomatic, until Traya, Phobos, the Sith Emperor, and a few others attempted to corrupt a nearby ancient Jedi holocron for the ninetieth time. Lastly, he was compassionate, unless Sion and Nilihus tried to destroy Traya’s holocron for the fifth time since the Firebird became the Sith holocrons’ guardian.

That didn’t mean the man was perfect. He was far from it. That was what made his fall inventible and so sweet. He strove to be the perfect Jedi and in his attempts he left himself wide open to being corrupted.

* * *

“Anakin, I do not understand why you are doing this! You believed know the importance of democracy!” Padme yelled as her husband informed her of his plan to kill the current Emperor only to replace him with another dictatorship.

“Democracy does not work Padme! We have seen in fail countless times.” Anakin yelled back, his eyes flashing from yellow to the burnt orange and black of an enraged Sith. He forced himself to take a deep breath when he saw Padme step back from him. This is my wife. She doesn’t understand yet the truth of the world. She must be made to understand.

However, it did not seem like the former Queen was in the mood to listen to his wise words. “Democracy has not failed. It has held true to its cause of giving all people a voice, even those that we do not wish to hear.”

“It is tedious and slow to act at implement plans.” The Sith had tried to explain this to his wife multiple times. Despite his plans to kill Sidious as soon as possible, Anakin did agree with the man, and the other Sith, that the Republic’s former government needed to be replaced with a government in which all decisions could be made quickly and all who dissented would be shown the error of their ways. Thankfully the man still did not realize that Anakin had turned on him.

“In order to give everyone a chance to give their opinion.” Padme contended.

“It is odd that you champion democracy when you were the one who suffered from its pitfalls when Naboo was under siege,” Anakin stated, knowing his wife’s argument had taken a hit. “Or do you only dislike it when it does not work for you?”

“How dare you use the suffering of my home planet against me!” Padme hissed as her eyes narrowed. “The actions I took have nothing do with my lack of faith in democracy. I was fighting against the corruption within democracy.”

She obviously is not ready to give up her argument yet.

“Yet you put forth a vote of no confidence against a man within that democracy who had merely been attempting to help you in the limited fashion he was allowed.” Anakin stated the comment back with ease. If only Obi-Wan were here to witness this. He would see that I truly did pay attention when he was teaching me the finer points of debate and persuasive arguments.

“I requested that vote to dismantle the corruption in the Senate!” Padme spat out through gritted teeth.

Anakin could not keep the smirk off his lips. “No. You did it for your planet’s and your own personal gain. Chancellor Valorum was fighting to save democracy within the confines of the system. But your precious system of democracy was not working fast enough for you back then, was it? Let’s face it Padme, you only preach democracy and the willingness to listen to all sides when it suits you”

“Anakin, why are you doing this? You know I was trying to help my people when cast that vote of no confidence. My people were dying!”

Victory. I have her where I want her. 

The Sith sat down in a nearby chair and put his feet up on the table in front of him. “Sounds selfish according to you previously stated view.”

Padme sharply stood up and glared at her husband. “It is nothing like that! I stand for democracy Anakin. I don’t know who told you all of these lies, but I will not have it!”

The former knight’s smirk widened as he rose from his seat once more. “As I said, my beloved. You only like democracy when it benefits you and despise it when it does not suit your immediate needs.”

His wife tried to protest, but Vader merely leaned forwards and whispered, “Have you not realized yet that you are merely a hypocrite?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Please read and review! Constructive criticism is welcome, flaming will be deleted.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was on vacation this week, so I decided to do an extra post this week. I hope you enjoy it! :)
> 
> Thanks to Anesor for contributing dialogue to this chapter!

* * *

Sion knew better than most of the other Siths how dangerous the Light Side could be for a Dark Side user.  _Or at least, I know how dangerous love can be to us_.

The Lord of Pain had observed Obi-Wan Kenobi from the time that he had entered into the Sith Holocron Vault.  He saw what Traya, Pall, Phobos, and Nihilus had not noticed about the then-young Jedi.  Sion saw the then-boy burn with the same fire that had burned within Sion’s love, Meetra Surik. The Firebird, like Sion’s Meetra, had been overlooked and assumed to be weak. None of the other Siths, even Revan, could see the strong conviction within the Jedi Keeper who tended to them. It was a faith that eerily mimicked Meetra’s own.

Sion had made his current Holocron earlier in his life, but he had obtained some information about his later life from Nilihus’ former Apprentice Visa Marr. It was the former Miraluka Sith Apprentice who had informed Sion that he had given his love a choice to turn to the Dark Side, to die of exposure, or to die by his hand. She had chosen none of those things.  She had fought him and won; not once, but four times. Meetra then, according to Marr and Revan’s gray counterpart, had assisted Sion in letting go of his hatred so he could be at peace.

Sion saw that same strength that allowed Meetra to defeat him in the Firebird.

_Sometimes I wonder if they are related._

* * *

Padme stared at her husband as his vicious words and accusations flowed over her. She was surprised when she heard her own voice and the vitriol was being spewed by it.

"Isn’t interesting that you have become the voice for tyranny? You once wanted to free the slaves, now it seems that you are determined to damn them and everyone else in the galaxy to a new form of slavery.”  

The former Queen wasn’t surprised when her husband’s golden eyes blazed orange, red, and black. “People are stupid as banathas and cannot make their own decisions.”

“Weren’t you in the same position as that ‘stupid as banathas’ people? Didn’t you want to have a say in your life? It isn’t funny that you do not want others to have a say in their lives?” Padme stated in a deadly calm voice as she continued to stare down her husband.

“You know nothing of what I experienced.” Anakin stated as he advanced towards her. Padme could hear the creaking of her husband’s leather gloves as if he was tightening his fist as he advanced. But she refused to look down and break eye contact with him.

He continued to speak as he moved forwards, “You lived a pampered lifestyle in which you always got what you wanted. You do not know what it is like to be starving and constantly wondering where your next meal will come from. You never had to live in perpetual fear that your mother would be killed for trying to protect you. You do not know what tyranny truly is until you have experienced those things.”

Padme’s temper flared at her husband’s words.  He was able to get under skin better than anyone else outside his damnable Master. “No, I understand what you are saying perfectly well. It seems that when you were on the bottom, you were willing to fight against the tyranny and oppression you experienced. However now that you are on the top, you want to subjugate others to those same evils. How low you have fallen, a mere shadow of the great man I married.”

“Ironic of you to say when you married a murderer.” Anakin stated as his eyes bored into hers.  He was standing mere inches from her face.

“At least I’m not naïve enough to think that you will be anything other than a puppet your new Master. I wonder how long it will take before you realize you are nothing but a speck on his shoes.”

Padme blinked before she found that she was lying on the ground by her dresser with a throbbing cheek, blood running down her face, a splitting headache, and pain running up and down her back. She looked up at her husband as she put her arm protectively over her pregnant belly.

“Funny how you have a problem with it when you’re no longer holding my strings.”

* * *

Obi-Wan could feel Padme’s heartbreak from across the Senator’s apartment.  Obi-Wan did not know what his former Padawan had said to his wife, but he knew that whatever he had said had gutted the poor woman.

As angry as Obi-Wan was at the Senator for being so blind, he could not find it in himself to condone Anakin’s behavior towards her. Either way, Padme was being overrun by grief.  She was not thinking straight and she was lashing out. Honestly, it was perfectly understandable.

_If only things had been different… None of that._ Obi-Wan shook his head. _Thoughts like that will lead nowhere. What is done is done. I must focus on the present and what I need to do._  

* * *

_The old troll was easy to defeat.  He will not be able to run from my Empire for long._ Sidious cackled internally as he walked around his office. _Soon there will be nothing left of the Jedi Order and nothing will stand in my way._

Even now Sidious felt a power growing in the former Jedi Temple as the power of the Sith overtook the residual power of the Jedi. He did not fear that power for he knew that he would be able to control it and make it bow to his will. He had hoped his apprentice would be back by now with the precious Holocrons that would give him the knowledge of the great Sith of the past.

Yet, it seemed like his apprentice had wandered from the path that Sidious had set for him.

_He had probably become distracted by that meddling wife of his. I knew I should have killed her before I sent him on a mission.  Then I could have blamed the Jedi for her death._

Sidious allowed himself to take in the fruits of his labors.

_At least I don’t have to worry about that bothersome Jedi Master of Vader’s.  He is as good as dead, along with all the other Jedi commanders and their younglings. All that will remain is the Sith and our slaves._

The newly crowned Emperor could not help but allow himself a twisted smile at his thoughts.

_Now if I could only figure out where that idiot of an apprentice could be._

* * *

The Senate was in an uproar.  The majority of the Senators had fallen in line with the Chancellor’s plans to dissolve the Republic and to establish an Empire.

_They are sheeple that obey the most powerful person in their view._ Bail thought bitterly as he walked through the Senate dome. _How easily they gave up power to a corrupt leader._

As much as Bail hated to admit it, he had unwittily helped lay the foundations for the burgeoning Empire. _I helped put this monster in power and now my friends are paying for it._

Bail had been horrified to hear that the Jedi were being mowed down by their formerly loyal troops. There were reports of troop turning on their Jedi commanders in the midst of battle. He was grateful that he had sought out and saved Master Yoda and his friend Obi-Wan after the initial fighting began. So many other Jedi, even young Padawans, had lost their lives on this day because of one man.

_We put them in this position while we sat safely here in the capital enjoying the spoils of their labors. If we had questioned more and followed less…_

Bail shook his head. These thoughts were of no use to him. What would matter from here on out would be the actions he and others like him would take to end the tyranny that was growing in the Capital. They would need to organize and mount a resistance to this unlawful government.

He had hid Master Yoda in his private space craft after the Jedi Master fled from his losing battle with the newly ordained Emperor, but Bail had not heard from Obi-Wan since he dropped the other man off at the Jedi Temple with Yoda. 

Bail was deeply worried about the younger human and not for the reasons which others in the soon-to-be fledgling resistance would worry. Obi-Wan was… is his friend.  The younger Jedi Master may be a brilliant tactician but he is first and foremost Bail’s friend.

Yoda had stated that Obi-Wan was on a mission for remaining Jedi. Yet Bail sensed that there was more to the older Master’s story than what meets the eye.

_If Obi-Wan is alive, he would try to seek out his brother-in-arms Skywalker. And the best place to find out information about Skywalker’s location, and therefore Obi-Wan’s, is Padme._

Bail grimaced. He had never told his Nabooian friend that he had figured out her little secret that she was in a relationship with Skywalker. The male senator was pretty sure that Obi-Wan was aware of the relationship as well, but he had never managed to receive confirmation of his suspicions.

_Either way, I have a holocall to make and a Jedi to track down._


	7. Chapter Six

 

* * *

 

**_He has felt us._** Cognus whispered to her fellow Siths from her Holocron. She had been assigned to monitor the outside world as her foresight and mental sight was stronger than any other Sith Holocrons. She had felt when the current Banite Sith had been seeking to discover the source of the growing dark power in the Jedi Temple.

**_We do not need to fear him._**   ** _His power pales in comparison with our combined abilities_**. Phobos snarled as her form arose from the Holocron.

**_We can do nothing unless we can get our Keeper back into the Temple._** Pall responded as an ancient Holocron opened and the former Jedi exited.

Nilihus rose from his Holocron. ** _The Fallen One has promised to bring the Keeper to us._**

**_He is taking too long._**   Traya hissed as she entered the conversation. **_He does not realize the implications of the game he is playing._**

**_The Keeper’s Pride is merely an overgrown child who has no concept of how the world works._** Zannah commented as she observed her fellow Sith.

**_One could say the same about our Keeper. His Master often stated that he had a skewed view of the galaxy due to him and the other younglings being raised on Coruscant._** Smoke billowed from a dark red Holocron as Vilia gave her input on the situation.

**_One could say that about any one raised in a specific culture. The Firebird at least grew up to acknowledge that cultural practices differed from planet to planet._** Revan stated as he too rose from a black and red triangular Holocron. **_No child or teen truly understands that their way of living is not rule._**

**_Our Keeper is not perfect._** Traya said with a glare.

A chuckle came from an unidentified Holocron somewhere in the Vault. **_Who is?_**

**_No, but at least he realizes that in comparison with the others who served on the Council._** Revan replied.

**_How would you know of the Jedi Council dealings?_** The Lady of Betrayal snapped as she glared at her former Jedi Padawan.

**_Unlike you Traya, I do speak to the Jedi and other Force Users’ Holocrons._** Revan playful chided, infuriating his former master more. **_Some of them have been very helpful in relaying information regarding the Jedi Council’s plotting._**

**_It matters not.  The Jedi are gone._** Phobos replied haughtily.

Nihilus shook his head as he contradicted the great Sith Lady. **_They still remain as long as the Firebird remains in the Light.  He is the lock that prevents the Dark Side from overtaking the Light._**

**_Yet he is wavering._** Traya stated confidently.

**_Is he?  I have not seen him waiver._** Sion responded softly, which was out of character for the Lord of Pain. 

**_I could feel his doubts about the Jedi ways and the troll’s commands._** Cognus replied.

**_Anyone, even a staunch Jedi, would be concerned if a leader asked them to turn on their Pride._** A response came from the usually quiet Sith Emperor.

**_The Jedi are as cold and unfeeling as the air in space._** Zannah snarked.

**_And yet, the Firebird is more like the ancient Jedi Bastilla and Meetra._** Sion responded.

**_The Firebird has none of Bastilla’s pride and overconfidence._** Revan stated plainly as he glanced over at the rare and, strangely, unopened Holocron of a prominent Sith Apprentice- his wife Bastilla.

**_But he does have both Jedi’s ability to form bonds with others, even if he denies it._** Pall replied.

**_He reminds me of Surik._** Sion stated as he gazed longingly at the vault door that separated him from his love’s unopened Holocron.

**_He is nothing like Surik._** Traya hissed.

The Lord of Pain growled at his former Master. **_You just don’t want to admit that he is our weakness, just as Meetra was our previous weakness._**

**_We are missing the point._** A cold breeze filled the Sith Vault as Revan spoke. All the Sith turned their attention back to the former Jedi. **_How are we to get our Firebird back to the Temple before the current Sith Lord decides he wants to take the Temple and us by Force._**

**_Perhaps we need to do a little outreach…_** Pall suggested.

 

 

* * *

 

“I need to go out for a little while Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan glanced up at the former Knight as the other human male moved around the room gathering burnt and bloody items from the floor. “Why are you telling me this?”

“It is important that we keep an open line of communication if we are to defeat Palpatine.” Anakin responded as he bent over to pick up Obi-Wan’s torn overgarments. “I will need to obtain you some proper clothes that are appropriate for your new station once we have defeated the current Banite Sith.”

“I didn’t know that defeating the current Sith Lord, outside of yourself, was on the agenda for this week.” Obi-Wan snarked as he once again attempted to push himself up.  However, thanks to Anakin’s piss poor attempts at Force healing, Obi-Wan was able to push himself up into a sitting position this time without the young Sith’s assistance. “So far you are failing to meet your goal for improved communication. I believe that sharing a plan of action would be crucial to you meeting that goal.”

Half a second later, Obi-Wan added, “I don’t need new clothes.”

Anakin seemed to smirk as he witnessed Obi-Wan sit up and the facial expression only seemed to widen as Obi-Wan made trademark comments.

“I’m communicating with you now, aren’t I?” The Sith stated as he looked over at Obi-Wan.  “I would say that is marked improvement for both of us. And you do need new clothes. Neither I nor our new masters will allow you to continue to clothe yourself in the garments of a Jedi.”

“Somehow I don’t think that making a statement before you go off to do something that is probably evil is a form of communication.” Obi-Wan commented back. “I am a Jedi.”

“No Master, you aren’t.” The Sith stated seriously as he crossed the room to sit on the older man’s bed. Obi-Wan found that he could not break the contact between the Sithly eyes and his own. “The Jedi are dead. You and I will be the founding members of the new Sith Order once we defeat and destroy Palpatine.”

“I will not fall.” Obi-Wan swore.  “As long as I live, the Jedi still live.”

“My poor deluded Master.  Do you not realize that you are now free to be who you truly are instead of the paltry and limited version that the Council forced you to become?” Anakin brought his hand to the Jedi’s chin and gently brushed his hands over Obi-Wan’s jaw.

_Why does it feel like he is caressing me lovingly?_

“It doesn’t matter if you believe me at the current moment.  I know the truth.” Anakin stated as he rose from the bed. “What is important now is the things I need to get I need to get so we can defeat Palpatine.”

“You will believe what you are going to believe, but I swear to you as your former Master that your Sith overlords and you will never cause me to fall.” Obi-Wan stared hard at the Sith as he uttered his oath.

However, instead of angering the fallen Jedi, Obi-Wan’s words only seemed to amuse the other man.

“We will agree to disagree.”

“Fine.” Obi-Wan replied as he looked at his fallen apprentice. “What do we need to have to defeat Palpatine?”

“You’ll see when I return.  But let’s just say, the event will be explosive.” The Sith said with a wide grin so characteristic of the man that Obi-Wan had trained.  The Sith’s behavior and facial expressions only caused Obi-Wan mourn his former Padawan even more.

However, he couldn’t resist the temptation to reply back, “You are still failing at communicating.”

 

* * *

 

**_Why would we help you?_** An unidentified Force User’s Holocron called.

**_We are seeking to protect ourselves and preserve our culture, just as you want to preserve your culture._** Pall responded.

**_You seek to destroy us, just as you sought to destroy our creators._** Another Holocron cried.

_That was probably a Jedi Holocron._ Traya thought nastily as she glared at the unmarked centuries old Holocron.

**_We are seeking to bring our Keeper back to the Temple. None of us can do anything to protect ourselves or the Temple without the Keeper being present._** Revan stated.

**_You seek to corrupt him._** Another voice accused the gathered Siths.

**_We seek to free him from the chains your kind have placed upon them._** Traya retorted.

Pall elbowed the image of her fellow former Jedi. **_What she means is we are trying to bring him here so he can freely choose while defending the hallow ground for at least of two of our Orders._**

**_It matters not what they seek to do.  What matters is there are still younglings in this Temple who need protection and there is a threat to them._** A calm, feminine voice stated. Revan recognized the voice immediately.

_I guess I will be giving Sion some good news_ , Revan thought to himself.

**_She is right.  What is important now is that we get the Keeper and his Fallen Apprentice here to defend the younglings._** The voice of Gray Revan counseled.

**_There are the most important thing to consider._** Darth Revan recognized the calmer tones of his wife’s gray Jedi counterpart.

**_Why should we listen to you Fallen Ones any more than we should listen to the Sith?_** A haughty voice croaked from an ancient Jedi Holocron.

**_Because they are at least willing to listen and have compassion for those who cannot defend themselves within these walls._** The same calm, clear feminine voice replied.

 

 

* * *

 

Padme had managed to sneak out of her locked room after Anakin walked off muttering about finding a way to appease his Masters. The Senator did not understand what was going on.  She knew it had something to do with the Jedi and the Chancellor, but she did not know how everything connected.

Everything was happening too fast for the former Queen. Only a few days prior, her sweet Anakin had been concerned about her dying after he began having nightmares. Then her husband had hit her, risked the life of their child, turned on the Jedi, and slaughtered the remaining supposedly on the behest of the Chancellor turned Emperor.

_This is all wrong. This doesn’t make any sense. Why is this happening?_ Padme thought as she brought her hand up to test if her check was still bleeding. She let out a little hiss at the tenderness of the wound as she continued to evaluate her current situation. _When did Anakin become a supporter of tyranny? It makes no sense that he would be acting this way._

However she had received a message from Bail. He had asked her assistance in locating the remaining Jedi, particularly the unaccounted-for Kenobi.  Her fellow Senator had stated he planned to aid the living Jedi and form a resistance to the burgeoning Empire. Her friend needed her husband’s former Master for his tactile genius. Despite the man only being a pale imitation of her husband’s skill.

She might not know what was going on, but she could assist her friend in starting his resistance.  It just required obtaining a necessary piece of the puzzle.

 

 

* * *

 

Obi-Wan heard the door swoosh open.  He looked up from his reclined position expecting to see his former Padawan, only to find his Padawan’s wife standing in the doorway. Her face looked drawn, her eyes blood shot, and her hair in disarray.

“Padme.” Obi-Wan whispered taking in the Senator’s appearance. “What has happened? Did Anakin hurt you?”

“Why would you think that he hurt me?” Padme replied with mixture of agitation and confusion in her eyes. “And what does it matter, you don’t care if anything happened to me.”

“I didn’t know what happened after he removed you from the room and I felt your emotional turmoil from across the apartment. Plus the last time I saw you, you did not have blood on your cheek.” Obi-Wan responded as he raised himself into a sitting position. He did not want to try standing yet. The Jedi looked over at the younger woman before he continued in a gentle voice, “I do care what happens to you, milady. You are my Padawan’s wife and therefore a part of my family.”

“Odd that you are actually able to identify emotions or even admit to having a family.” Padme snipped.

_She is only acting this way because she is afraid, worried, and in pain.  This is not how she actually feels about you or the Order._ Obi-Wan repeated to himself over and over again.

However a part of him wondered if the cold words spoken in anger were truer reflections of the Nabooian’s views of the Jedi Order that were merely buried under the veil of diplomacy.

“I can easily identify emotions from those I care about if I so choose or if the emotions are strong enough.” Obi-Wan replied in as non-threatening of manner as he could.

“Yet you could not recognize that Anakin was hurting and needed your help?”

“You would have to be more specific, my lady.  Anakin has been emotionally hurt many times.” Obi-Wan responded to the young woman standing in the doorway.

_I believe it is time to sit up completely once more. This is not a conversation that I should be having while I’m reclining in a bed._ The Jedi forced himself to slide his legs over the side of the bed and he straightened up his upper body as he turned to face his Padawan’s wife completely.

“How did you not realize that the Jedi Council and the Jedi teachings were hurting him?” Padme spat.

“As Anakin informed me earlier, we have not been communicating well for the last few years.  Some of the trust we had has be worn away by secrets we both have kept.” The man responded, looking his friend’s wife straight in the eye. “And as you pointed out, I am not as adept at navigating emotional issues as Anakin.  I did what I could with the information I had.”

“Obviously you did not do enough.” Padme stated as she moved from the doorway. “But that matters not. I have received a message from Bail.  He requests you meet with him as soon as possible to assist him and other in forming a resistance to Palpatine’s Empire.”

The Jedi Master felt a signature enter into the apartment as Padme spoke to him.

“I will assist in any way I can to end Palpatine’s regime, however meeting with Bail or the others may be a tad tricky at the current moment.” Obi-Wan responded

Padme snorted. “What would prevent you from assisting us or meeting with the man you supposedly claim as a friend.”

“Oh the answer to that question is simple dear Padme.” A voice called from the doorway as Obi-Wan met the owner of the voice’s eyes.

The Jedi witnessed the Senator whip around as she was startled by the intrusion.

“Good to see you sitting up completely Obi-Wan.” The voice’s owner said with good natured ribbing.

“Seems you made it back in one-piece Anakin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Please read and review! Constructive criticism is welcome, flaming will be deleted.


	8. Chapter Seven

 

 

* * *

 

Anakin was furious to hear the tail end of his wife’s conversation with his Master. She refused to believe that Obi-Wan was just as much of a victim of the Jedi’s outdated and hateful system of beliefs as Anakin.  It seemed that she was determined to blame Obi-Wan for everything.

_As if you weren’t accusing him of the same thing a mere day ago._

Anakin ignored the voice in his head as he led his pregnant wife back to their bedroom. He had bigger issues to deal with at the moment.  His wife was making plans to commit treason against the newly forming Empire that would interfere with Anakin’s scheme to kill Palpatine and take power for his own family.

“What am I going to do with you?” Anakin asked as he pushed his wife in front of him and into the room.

“Help me and the Rebellion defeat Palpatine so we can leave this place behind us and raise our children in peace on Naboo.” Padme stated as if her statement was the most obvious and the easiest thing in the galaxy to do.

“Padme, I have already designed a plan to defeat Palpatine.” The Sith simply replied in an even voice as he stood back to observe how his wife. Her reaction would decide her role in his and his Master’s future Empire.

“Oh Anakin, I knew you would come around.  I will contact and inform Bail immediately so the Resistance will be able to assist you in implementing your plan without having to worry about getting Obi-Wan involved.” Padme smiled as she moved towards her comm. “I’m so sorry that I always insisted that he cared for you, perhaps he does in his own way. Obviously you were right about him being your Council appointed minder. I’m happy that you understand the importance of re-establishing democracy. We can then properly deal with the remaining Jedi and Obi-Wan.”

_She has made her choice._  

Only the comm flew out of her reach and into Anakin’s outstretched right hand.

“Padme, you will not be comming Bail.” The fallen Knight informed his wife as he slipped the comm into his belt next to his lightsaber.

“Anakin, quit playing around.  We need to contact Bail.  It is of the utter most importance that we end Palpatine’s tyranny before he can solidify his reign.”

“We can agree that Palpatine needs to be stopped.” Anakin replied as he began to advance towards his wife.  “Obi-Wan’s involvement is a crucial part of my plan.”

“Fine, we will need to address his behavior towards you and myself after Palpatine is ejected from power. Give me my comm Ani so I can contact Bail.” Padme moved forward to meet her husband half-way and to obtain her comm from her husband’s waist. As she reached to snag her communicator from the Sith, Anakin grabbed her wrist tightly with his mechanical hand. “Anakin, let go. You are hurting me.”

“Be quiet Padme.  It is time for you to listen.” The Sith commanded as his eyes flashed the deep orange and black. “You will not be contacting Bail.  You will not have contact with Bail. You will sit here while Obi-Wan  and I leave to finalize the preparations for defeating Palpatine.”

“Anakin, you can’t expect me to sit here! Why must I not contact Bail?” The pregnant woman exclaimed. “The Rebellion might be in its infancy, but we can easily assist you in defeating the Chancellor!”

“Shush.” Anakin hushed her before continuing on with his directions while ignoring her increasingly frantic questions. “When we return, I will expect you to be dressed and ready to go with us to the Senate.”

“Anakin, please give me my comm so I can contact Bail and the Resistance.” Padme pleaded with her husband.  She did not understand why he was acting this way.  “I need to make preparations for the re-establishment of democracy.”

“It seems that you have not been listening to me at all my dear Padme.” The Sith said with a shake of head.

“Ani?” His wife asked with a confused and lost look on her face.

_So naïve and innocent._

“Once we defeat Palpatine, there will be no returning to democracy.” 

“Anakin what are you saying?” Padme was backing away from him slowly.  Anakin would be lying if he said the action did not give him a thrill. 

The newly fallen Sith smiled as he took in his wife’s confusion and fear. “It is simple, my love. After Palpatine dies, there will be two new Emperors and an Empress taking the throne.”

 

 

* * *

 

Mere rooms away, another person was witnessing and experiencing a phenomena that had only been documented in the Keepers’ Ancient texts. 

Obi-Wan stared in horrified fascination as a holographic figure of a shrouded person appeared in front of him without any comms or other form of communicators. 

The being spoke of many things, but their message ended in a simple plea. 

“ ** _Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi.  You are our only hope_**.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> _End of Part Two_  
> 
> 
> Author's Note: So you get to help decide what happens next. Tell me who you think spoke to Obi-Wan at the end of this chapter and what you think will Obi-Wan's fate. 


End file.
